Nirmala Sitharaman reviews Indian Navy's maritime prowess, says confident armed forces can ward off any threat

Panaji: The Indian Navy is “fully capable” of defending the country against any threat, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday after she reviewed the navy’s maritime prowess. [caption id=“attachment_4295547” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Nirmala Sitaraman. Twitter @nsitharaman[/caption] The minister presided over India’s show of naval might, off the western coast on Monday and Tuesday, in which more than 10 warships, including aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, three submarines and various types of naval aircraft participated in operational manoeuvres, an official statement said. Sitharaman initially embarked on INS Kolkata, the first of the indigenously built Kolkata Class destroyers, and then spent the night at sea on board INS Vikramaditya. To assess the performance of the carrier in “real conditions”, she transited through a simulated “multi-threat” environment on board along with the ship’s escorts during Monday night, it said. Sitharaman also presided over multiple complex naval operations including air interceptions, missile, gun and rocket firing, ship-to-ship replenishment, night flying and anti-submarine warfare. The Western Fleet undertook these major naval manoeuvres off the western seaboard to showcase its operational excellence and combat capabilities. “Having witnessed first-hand the prowess of the Western Fleet, I am confident that the Indian Navy is fully capable of defending the nation against any form of threat,” she said. She also interacted closely and had open discussions with the sailors on board the warships. On Tuesday, the Minister left the ship by a naval helicopter which landed at INS Hansa near Panaji on Tuesday.